Expert thought

In view of the restrictive 2018 Luhansk People’s Republic statute, it is not surprising that some groups declined to apply for registration, while others were refused. The result is that many religious communities find themselves outside the law…. the 48 Baptist Union congregations have had to cease their activity altogether.

Religious Studies

In the context of recent events in the Orthodox world, disputes over the boundaries of church institutions often arise between the Patriarchate of Constantinople, Kyiv and Moscow. Ukraine accuses Russia of misappropriating the territory of the Kyiv Metropolis. In its turn, Moscow appeals to the fact that the ancient Kyiv Metropolis differs from the territory of modern Ukraine. RISU decided to clarify this topic, getting advice from historians. Based on this research, we prepared an infographic.

The first question that arises concerning Ukraine is this: with what right and based on which holy canons, does Russia today claim the ecclesiastical and administrative dependency of the Metropolis of Kyiv?

The Vatican did not summon the ambassador and did not criticize "religious laws" - Ukrainian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson

The Vatican did not criticize the so-called "religious laws" and did not summon Ambassador Tatiana Izhevska.

"The information about the summoning of the ambassador is not true. No one summoned her. She had a series of work meetings at the State Secretariat of the Vatican, which various issues of internal and foreign policy were discussed, including these bills," - said Ukrainian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Mariana Betsa.

"There was no criticism on the part of the Vatican" - said Betsa.

It is known that the Russian media circulated a statement of Archpriest Mykola Danylevych that Ukraine's ambassador was summoned to the Pope about "religious laws" and expressed concern about them.